The Unknown Woman
by julyheat
Summary: Very little is known about Sigyn, eventual wife of Loki. But what if it all started with the Avengers? Orphan Sarah Nystrom grew up as a ward of New York state. She finally managed to make a life for herself when a stranger walks into her bar with a story of a Goddess gone underground. Will she betray the man that she was destined to love before they even meet? Rated T for swearing
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Hello, beautiful people! I've been playing around with the concept of creating the start to Sigyn. Let me know what you think!**

**And no, I don't own any of the characters, but I would take Loki for Christmas**

The day Nick Fury can stop worrying about the businesses of Gods would be a great day indeed. He might even take the morning off and play a round of golf, even though his depth perception may be a little spotty. But, most unfortunately, today was not that day. As he took a steadying breath (his counselor's term, not his) and glanced over at Agent Coulson. The two men stood in front of several screens that had recently gone black, the evidence of the S.H.I.E.L.D advisors' teleconference already erased. "Can you please explain to me how the hell _another _fucking God managed to slip into our world?"

Coulson smiled. After Fury's stunt defying his superiors during Loki's attack, they forced him to start seeing an agency therapist. Despite Fury's insistence that he would never believe a word that Dr. Lambert uttered, Coulson began to notice that Fury would try the anger-reducing techniques that the good doctor was known for. "I believe this time, it was a Goddess that is now residing in the city. Though there is evidence that she has no knowledge of her powers."

At Fury's furrowed brow, Coulson continued, holding up the paperwork that he had glanced through during the meeting. "She grew up as a ward of the state. Looking at the history that I was sent, Nystrom was sent to some tough foster homes and while there was records of her acting violently towards others, there is no documentation of any unexplained incidents. She, in my opinion, is just a tough and angry girl who turned into a tough woman who likes to stay in the margins."

"So we need to find a woman who has problems with authority and tell her that she could potentially be a powerful being from another Realm?" Fury groaned.

"Hopefully we can find a more tactful way of telling her, but yes." Coulson was hit with inspiration. "Do you think that Romanoff is back from Cambodia?"

* * *

Sarah Nystrom scanned the crowd at the bar. Mostly Wall Street types, having a drink after a long day of screaming and threatening their way through negotiations. Unfortunately, the concept of happy hour was lost on them. These men had no idea that it was possible for their attitudes to change once the workday was over. Case and point, the middle aged man with the red face who was currently cursing at her. "I ordered my Manhattan five minutes ago! Are you too busy painting your fucking nails to make me a drink?"

Swiveling her head back to him, Sarah retorted. "No dumbass, I was looking for Jessica. You know her? The pair of boobs that you actually ordered from and who told you that she needed to get more sweet vermouth? She's climbing the stairs now with the new bottle and an order of wings that she is comping you because of the wait. Now get out of my fucking face before I shove those free pieces of chicken down your fucking throat."

Fortunately, the red-faced customer completely ignored her threat once he realized that his drink was waiting for him at the other end of the bar. Sarah rolled her eyes and stepped in front of the next person in line, a red-headed young woman wearing a suit and a bemused expression. "My, don't you have a way with men?"

Sarah shrugged. "They're kind of like dogs or small children, you show any fear and they will walk all over you. What can I get you?"

"Ketel One, double."

Grabbing the bottle of vodka and a tumbler, Sarah studied her new customer. She definitely was not Wall Street, judging by how strongly the other patrons were leering. "Double?"

The redhead nodded. "Please."

Sliding the glass to the woman, Sarah accepted the cash handed to her almost immediately. "So why are you here?"

The woman was silent, but lifted an eyebrow as if asking a question. Sarah gestured to the rest of the bar. "If you actually worked as a businesswoman, then these pervs wouldn't be staring at you like you were a brand new toy. Someone would have recognized you by now and would be trying to chat you up. Yet, you are in a suit as if you wanted to fit in. You aren't looking for anyone nor have you asked if I have seen any of your 'coworkers'. So, I will ask again, why are you here?"

A look of resignation passed over the woman's face. "Can I please enjoy my drink before I have to explain everything?"

With a short laugh, Sarah nodded. "Of course, but can you at least tell me your name and you are looking for?"

"Fair enough. My name in Natasha Romanoff and I am here for you. How did you figure that stuff out about me anyway?"

Sarah waited until Natasha took a deep sip out of her drink before replying. "I'm a bartender. It's practically a requirement of the job." She then noticed a couple of figures trying to get her attention. "Speaking of the job, I better get back to it."

As she poured drinks for the new crowd that had come in, Sarah took the time to consider her situation. Some strange woman just came in, calmly ordered a drink, and admitted that she was here for Sarah. Nothing about Natasha Romanoff's body language expressed that Sarah was in any sort of danger, but what was with the secrecy? If she was here to serve Sarah with any sort of court papers, she wouldn't be allowed to drink on the job and she would have just given her the papers. Natasha couldn't be associated with any of the foster homes that Sarah lived in, no one from the homes had attempted to make contact with her in over 7 years, just after her 18th birthday.

Sarah supposed that she should feel apprehensive or at least slightly nervous about why Natasha had sought her out, but instead, she just felt curious. Once the wave of Manhattanites were holding a fresh drink in their hands, Sarah finally returned back to Natasha, who had just finished her's. "Another?" Sarah asked.

Natasha shook her head. "I'm afraid not. Actually, I need you to come with me. There is someone outside who wants to meet you."

Barely holding back a derisive snort, Sarah crossed her arms. "Are you kidding me? I'm in the middle of my shift. I don't know you and you want me to go outside to be introduced to another complete stranger? No."

As she spun away to get back to work, she noticed that Natasha placed two fingers to her ear and murmured something. Sarah figured that Natasha was actually insane or she was calling for backup. Making eye contact with Joe, her favorite bouncer, Sarah dragged her pinky across her lower lip-their signal for help. Joe was instantly on his feet, but before he could make his way over to Sarah, he was stopped by Jack, the bar manager. As Jack began to speak rapidly to Joe, Sarah could see Joe's expression changed from concerned to annoyed to confused. he finally walked behind the bar to where Sarah was standing. "Jack says that we don't need you tonight."

Sarah raked her gaze over the crowd that was building on the other side of the bar. "Seriously? That only leaves Jessica and Andre to man the bar."

Joe shrugged. "That's what Jack says. He's pretty insistent too."

"Three syllables? Sounds serious, my friend." Sarah smirked at Joe, unsure if he could help with her little situation. "Well, I guess I can't look a gift horse in the mouth."

Resigned to her strange fate for the evening, she walked to the break room and grabbed her leather jacket. Pulling her light brown hair out of its high ponytail and shaking it out, Sarah made her way out the front door. Sure enough, Natasha stood on the sidewalk. "I know you might not believe this, but you aren't in any danger. We have some information that you might want to know, about your history."

Sarah stood in disbelief. "What do you mean, you have information about my history? No one has that. I've had countless social workers, foster parents, and other state employees try to find my parents without success. Who the hell are you?"

From behind Natasha, two men stepped into view. One was a tall black man with an eyepatch and a permanent scowl. The other was shorter, white, and more average looking, but with a friendly face. The taller man was the first to speak. "That is a long story, but rest assured, we have better contacts than any state employee. Please come with us."

Not to be easily satisfied, Sarah remained rooted in the same spot. "And if I refuse?"

Without hesitation, he responded. "Then we have other ways of getting you to follow which we will use. But for your own comfort, please do so willingly."

Feeling like Alice as she walked towards the rabbit hole, Sarah slowly walked towards the strange trio.


	2. A lost baby

**Hi Folks! Hopefully this will be the only background/dialogue heavy chapter. I do plan on making this more adventuresome, so if you have any requests, please let me know! I love to adjust my storyline as I go.**

_This has to be the weirdest day ever. _Sarah thought to herself as she followed Fury, Agent Coulson, and Natasha to the alley behind the bar. A dark sedan sat idling. The odd trio did not hesitate as they made their way towards the vehicle. Clearly it belonged to them. Sarah considered refusing to get into the car, but Fury did not seem like the type of man to make empty threats. If she didn't go with them, they would merely leave without her and she would never know where she came from. Feeling for her pepper spray in her back pocket, Sarah slid into the backseat behind Agent Coulson. Fury got in after her and Natasha sat in the front seat, quickly greeting the driver. Natasha turned around to face Sarah. "Sarah, this is Clint Barton, he works with us."

Sarah nodded a greeting towards Clint, who gave her an equally silent two finger salute before putting the car in drive and pulling out of the alley. "So, you have me in complete privacy, mind if you start talking?"

Agent Coulson smiled at Sarah's blunt nature as Fury glared at her. Coulson leaned forward to the small cooler and took out a bottle of water. "Here, it's a long story and if you are anything like we assume, you'll be doing a lot of yelling at the end."

Sarah accepted the bottle. "Don't worry, Agent Coulson, I prefer to hear the whole story before I react."

"That would be a good idea and please call me Phil."

Fury let out an annoyed cough. "While I appreciate this getting-to-know-you game, Agent Coulson is correct, this is a long story and you might not believe most of it."

Sarah opened the bottle and took a long sip. "I'm all ears."

"You are right about there not being any information about your parents. You were not given up, you were found. I assume that no one told you that bit to spare your feelings. But nonetheless, a group of nuns found you at a playground that was next to their church. They took you to a hospital immediately, where doctors predicted that you were around 6 months old. Instead of clothing, you were wrapped in a blanket with odd embroidery on it. Thinking nothing of it, the hospital threw the blanket away but they had taken pictures of you while you were still wrapped in it." Fury withdrew a few photographs out of his jacket pocket. Sarah studied the baby as well as the blanket. "Do you recognize the designs? We think that it is a language of sorts."

Sarah squinted as she continued to look at the blanket. "I'm not sure, but I think it is a protective design. Not quite a spell, but more of a song or proverb? And it's not a general protection verse, it is specifically for safe travels and a clear vision."

She looked up to see Fury scowling deeply at her. "What?" she asked.

Fury tucked the pictures back into his pocket before replying. "We've entered the designs into our database. The language that was used has never existed on this planet."

"So, what? I was left behind by some sort of Star Trek fan? Is that Klingon or Gallifreyan?"

Fury snorted. "You think we wouldn't have figured out if there was some pop culture Alien language on that fabric? We're not idiots."

Sarah shot back. "Well it's not like I know that. I have no idea who the hell you all are."

Phil cleared his throat. "Hopefully we can rectify that situation."

"Don't we all, Phil? So you all think that I was brought here from another planet?" Sarah glanced at the sober faces around her.

Fury nodded. "That's our guess. You seem surprisingly calm about it, though."

Sarah looked incredulously back at Fury. "Did you not see where our bar was located? I was working when the freaking sky opened up and creatures from who the hell cares flew in and tried to blow up the city. After that, I came around to the idea that we aren't completely alone in this universe."

Even Fury had to be impressed with the emotional and psychological strength in this small woman. "I'm glad to hear that because your story gets much odder. We have a contact in Asgard and we sent him the photos as well."

Sarah interrupted him. "Wait, Asgard? As in Odin, Asgard?"

"Yes, and interrupt me again and I'll stop talking entirely. Thor instantly recognized the symbols as a language that was used by a group of travelling Asgardians. They were mostly Valkyries and other such warriors. There was a legend about how this group was being threatened by a powerful witch, specifically towards a pregnant Valkyrie. Something about getting pregnant by the witch's partner. To protect this baby, they had to send her to another realm. Since then, the witch has been killed, but there has been no word about the travelers. Anyway, this baby was thought to be extremely powerful and is needed on Asgard to help settle an impending war." Fury leaned back and studied the young woman as she processed through this information.

Sarah went to take another sip of the water only to discover the bottle was already empty. "So you think that I am a Valkyrie witch mix that is allegedly super powerful? I hate to disappoint you, but I think you have the wrong girl."

Natasha turned her head again to protest Sarah's claim, but Fury caught her eye and shook his head. Confused, Natasha faced forward. Clint glanced over and Natasha shrugged. She overheard Fury. "Perhaps, but we have a few tests that we would like you to do to be sure. If it turns out that you aren't the young woman we are looking for, then you will be allowed to return home with our apologies and a check to cover any lost wages."

"And if I am the right person?"

"Then I'm afraid that your life will make a drastic change." Was Fury's quiet answer.

Usually Natasha gave S.H.I.E.L.D her full trust. There hasn't been an occasion where Fury's ultimate plan was not for the good of mankind. So why was Fury's omissions creating a knot in her stomach? Clearly, Sarah was the person they needed. Natasha saw how Sarah deafened the irate customer at the bar, making him believe that she was merely pointing to the other bartender instead of swearing and threatening him. And didn't they all see that as Fury told Sarah the story of the Valkyrie infant, she grew upset and caused the water in the bottle to boil and steam away without any damage to the thin plastic?

Natasha knew that Thor should be staying at the headquarters. She could only hope that she could get more information out of him and convince Sarah to trust the Asgardian prince.

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	3. An unexpected side effect of meditation

Once at S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters, Fury quickly departed, leaving Natasha and Clint the task of showing Sarah to the lab where she will begin testing. Sarah was relieved that she would be starting almost immediately. The sooner they started, the sooner they would realize they have the wrong person. While Sarah could never describe her life as glamorous or even affluent, she lived comfortably and had a small group of friends that she could really trust. After a lifetime living in the system, that was all she needed.

"Sarah?" Natasha's voice brought her out of her thoughts. "We're at the lab. Clint and I can't stay but we'll introduce you to Bruce."

Unable to speak for a moment, Sarah settled on nodding in agreement. The doors opened with a mechanical 'whoosh' and the two agents escorted the bartender into a lab, at least that was what they called it. Sarah tried to identify some of the equipment, but only got as far as a microscope and a table before she gave up. She decided to refocus her attention to the older man standing in front of her. Bruce lifted his hand for a handshake. "It's nice to finally meet you, Sarah."

At her confused expression, Bruce continued. "I read your file so I could get an idea of where to start with the testing, I assume that Fury has filled you in?"

"Oh, sure. Why wouldn't I have a file here?" Sarah muttered to herself as she shook Bruce's hand.

Overall, Sarah got the nearly the same impression of Bruce as she did with Phil. Both were innately friendly but on edge, almost as if they were prepared for an attack at any moment. Bruce gestured to the back of the room, where there was a relatively comfortable looking examination table and a couple of machines with at least twenty wires coming out of each. "If you would like, I can go through the process with you before we begin."

Sarah shook her head, but then immediately shrugged. "No, I mean, maybe. I just want to get this over with. Pretty sure that I am not the Valkyrie that everyone assumes I am."

Bruce did not appear to react in any way to Sarah's indecision. "Why don't I explain as I hook you up?"

Hopping onto the table, Sarah eyed the machinery with disdain. "Sounds like a good compromise."

Bruce sat on the stool next to the table. As if for the first time, he studied Sarah, specifically her shirt. "Um, some of these sensors need to be attached to your chest. I don't suppose you are wearing a shirt underneath?"

Sarah looked down at her t-shirt. Though it was form-fitting, the neckline was high enough for Sarah to bend over without exposing too much of herself. Her roommate, David, always encouraged her to dress more provocatively, like the other female bartenders, to get better tips. However, an unfortunate incident when she was 16 including a shared bathroom without a lock and two teenage boys living in the same home curbed her need to sexual attention from strangers. "Sorry, not today."

Bruce smiled reassuringly. "That's fine, there should be a spare somewhere around here."

After a few minutes of opening random drawers, he pulled out a navy blue oversized button-down. Bruce handed the shirt to Sarah and turned around. "Just let me know when you are changed."

Sarah disrobed quickly, her eyes glaring into the security camera the entire time. She put on the shirt, leaving the top three buttons undone and thanked her good fortune for remembering to wear a plain bra. She did not feel that Bruce would appreciate any of Victoria's secrets. "You can turn around again. So what are you doing to me, electroshock therapy?"

"As much as some of the agents could use a good round of mechanical shocking, Director Fury would not let me bring in any of the necessary equipment." He chuckled a little at his own joke, relieved that Sarah offered a half smile of her own. "This is a little more complicated. There is reason to believe that you can transport your mind into other realms, though your body stays in the same place. I would like to see if you can do it. These wires will monitor your vitals as well as your brain waves. Hopefully, I can track when you have left this realm and when you come back."

Bruce anticipated a lot of reactions, mostly ones of confusion or refusal, but he did not expect Sarah's bemused smile. "Funny. What does it really do?"

Sarah's smile slowly faded as Bruce continued to study her. _He cannot be serious, transporting to another realm? Oh my god, he isn't saying anything. _ "Seriously?" She whispered.

"Seriously." Bruce continued to hook the sensors onto Sarah. One on each temple, one on her forehead, and three on her chest; looking up, he watched as Sarah began to process what was about to happen. "I'll walk you through the process and if it doesn't work, we can simply try another time."

"I'm sorry. It just hit me how unreal this all is. After what happened a year ago with the attack, I thought I could handle any weird truths that came up. But the fact that I am in the middle of all of this is just…" Sarah trailed off as she tried to find the adequate words to describe what she was feeling.

"It's easy to accept new information about the freakishness of the universe when you are just a normal bystander. When it is about you, then you become the freak. It will never stop hitting too close to home." Bruce finished the thought for her.

Sarah looked at the scientist before her. His brown eyes held a streak of loneliness and sorrow. "What happened to you?" She asked.

Bruce was silent a moment. Sarah wasn't sure if she would get an answer out of him. "Let's just say that I am living proof that a human should never get too close to Gamma rays." He put on the last sensor. "You know, you look different from your picture."

Recognizing that Bruce was deliberately changing the topic, Sarah decided to indulge him. Even though Sarah was convinced that the agents had the wrong person, she could understand why Bruce would not want to talk about his unnatural talents with a relative stranger. "How so?"

"You looked happy in the photos. I think they were taken when you were with your boyfriend at Atlantic City. You were relaxed." Bruce handed her the photograph.

Sarah smiled at the picture. "I remember this. David and I went to Atlantic City for a vacation. We saved up for an entire year to afford it, so we went all out. But you are wrong about one thing, David is just my roommate, not my boyfriend."

"Ah, so that explains why you two could be inseparable for an entire week and still be happy." Bruce took the photo back and tucked it into the file. "So where was your boyfriend when you were gallivanting with this young man?"

"I have no idea, haven't met him yet." Sarah sighed at Bruce's raised eyebrow. "I don't have a boyfriend. Perhaps my standards are too high."

"Are they now? Dare I ask?"

Sarah began to tick them off, using the tips of her fingers for visual assistance. "Good hygiene, not a jerk, must be willing to not cheat or beat on me, financially and mentally stable are also a plus."

"Wow, no wonder why you are single. I can't think of a single man who fits that description." Bruce's voice was practically dripping with sarcasm.

Sarah gestured towards the beeping machines. "Well, it might be a good thing if I can transport. Maybe I can meet some hot alien who exceeds my standards."

Instead of following along with the joke, Bruce just looked sadder for a moment. "Perhaps. We should get back on task before Fury comes down here and 'supervises.' It throws me off to have him breathing down my neck."

Envisioning Fury's scowl bearing down on her as she was hooked up like a lab rat made Sarah grimace. "Good point, should I just lay down?"

Bruce nodded. "It should work best when you are in a relaxed state. Well, as relaxed as you can get with all this equipment and in a lab."

As soon as Sarah was properly settled, Bruce wrote down her vitals and turned back to her. "I want you to close your eyes and breathe deeply." He waited until Sarah complied. "Just envision yourself in a comfortable place, maybe doing an activity that you like."

Instantly, Sarah was curled in her favorite recliner with a book. The chair actually belonged to her favorite foster parents, the Smith's, ironically enough. When her two years with them came to an end, she was required to move onto the next home in hopes that they would adopt her. In her mind, though, the recliner was sitting in the middle of her bedroom, right where the sun poured through her window. She snuggled in deeper and read out of the new mystery novel that she picked up the other day.

Bruce kept an eye on the monitor. Sarah's pulse finally had dropped to an ideal number and her breath had evened out. He briefly wished that he could relax that completely so quickly. "Now Sarah, I want you to think about your path. You have a lot of questions about who you are and why you are here. I want you to ask your subconscious to reveal the truth."

Sarah looked up from her book, her brow furrowed. She had just gotten comfortable when she was reminded of her predicament. Looking out the window, she saw the sun was setting behind the buildings across the street. "What am I supposed to be doing with my life?" Sarah murmured.

Suddenly, she was ripped out of her apartment. It was almost as if someone had grabbed her by the back of the shirt and lifted her out through the ceiling. After a moment of weightlessness, Sarah landed on a floor. Looking around, she was not sure where she was. Did she fail the transport? Did they move her out of the lab and into a weird cell? Sarah looked around quickly. The room was sparsely furnished with white tile floors and walls. One wall was entirely made of glass, though Sarah could not see what was beyond it. Right when she was convinced that she failed her mission and Fury locked her up out of sheer irritation, Sarah heard footsteps behind her. A deep silky voice followed soon after, sounding amused. "What do we have here?"

Sarah jumped up, startled. Behind her, a tall thin man stood. Considering that Sarah must have appeared out of thin air, he was surprisingly calm about it. "Um, my bad?"

Loki studied the woman in front of him. Judging by the horrible attire and confused expression, he figured she was a Midgardian. She was quite a bit shorter than he was with the top of her head only grazing the bottom of his chin. She had light brown hair and her eyes were a surprisingly bright shade of green. But what was she doing here? No mortal could just pop out of nowhere, especially in an Asgardian prison cell. Loki's mind reeled with options, but there was one that seemed the most likely: Thor is using her as a spy. His brother was getting smarter these days, deliberately bringing in a woman who Loki would find attractive. Why though?

"I assume that you are as surprised by standing in my prison as I am, which is why I won't be offended that you aren't answering my question. So let me pose it to you again and in much easier terms: Who are you?" Loki started to feel impatient at the woman who was openly gawking at him.

Sarah was too busy taking in her surroundings to notice that the man had spoken. Even though he was dressed in a pair of pants and a simple shirt, something told her that they were not on Earth. She took in his long black hair and aggravated look on his face, wait, what did he say? Sarah smiled in apology. "Yes, I was not expecting to land here. My name is Sarah Nystrom and pardon my ignorance, but where am I?"

Despite the growing irritation that he was feeling, Loki could not help but smile back at Sarah. "You don't know where you are? Where were you trying to go?"

"Well, that's the tough part, I don't know."

Loki's smile slid off his face. "Enough!" He shouted. "I may be a prisoner, but I am still royalty and you will answer me."

_This really isn't going well. _Sarah thought. _I am in a prison cell with a very angry alien, who just so happens to look outrageously hot. Wait, where did that come from? _"It's a really long and bizarre story and I'm not even sure if I believe it, so how can I expect you to?"

In a maneuver that was too fast to see, Loki grabbed Sarah by the throat and slammed her against the wall. "Try me." Loki growled.

At this point, Sarah figured that she had nothing to lose. "Fine, you crazy assed goat-fucker, some government agency freaks think I am this weird alien Valkyrie-witch hybrid and are running tests on me. I don't know why, so don't even ask. Last I remembered, I was trying to meditate and I asked for the truth about what I needed to do and wound up here."

Sarah closed her eyes and waited for the worst. Instead of imminent death, however, she felt the hand at her throat drop. Opening her eyes, she saw Loki staring at her with a stunned look on his face. "Sigyn?" He gasped.

Sarah was not sure what language he was speaking, probably his native tongue. "Sorry, what?" She inquired.

Loki's eyes narrowed. "I think you have been grossly uninformed about your role in history, my dear. Perhaps you should ask your government agency freaks, as you like to call them, for the whole story. But where are my manners, I am Loki."

Still off-balance by Loki's extreme change in mood, Sarah shook her head as if it would clear out some of the fog. "It sounds like you are just as familiar, so perhaps you should tell me instead."

Loki loved hearing the snap in her voice as she was trying to make sense of what was going on. "Unfortunately, there is no time. The guards will be coming through momentarily and they would have quite a few questions if they see you with me. But I can tell you this much, when you were born, you were immediately promised to another. Once you came of age, you would have been married to him and together, you two would have done many great things."

Sarah could hear the murmur of voices from outside of the cell. She did not have much time left. "I was supposed to marry someone? Who?"

Loki watched as Sigyn started to fade. She didn't even realize it was happening as she looked to him for an answer. "Don't use past tense, the promise still stands. And you are looking at your future groom right now."

Sarah did not even have time to react. The voices were getting louder. She turned to look out the window, hoping that this time she could see something, anything. However, the room did not stop spinning, instead it got faster. Before she knew it, Sarah was looking up at a very concerned Bruce Banner.

"Welcome back." He simply said. "Find out anything interesting?"

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	4. Friend or Foe?

For a moment, Sarah considered lying to the men. But one look to Fury convinced her that he knew more about what she experienced than what he was letting on. As if he was reading her mind, Bruce confirmed. "You were talking in your, well, I guess it wouldn't be your sleep. But nonetheless, we already figured out that you made contact with Loki."

Sarah sat up and scrubbed her face with her hands. "Alright then, there goes my mysterious allure. So what does this mean?"

Bruce hesitated, looking down momentarily. Fury took the silence as an opportunity to step in. "While we still need to run one more test, I can be fairly certain you are the woman we have been looking for."

An icy feeling ran through Sarah's veins. Can she even be considered a woman anymore? Fury essentially told her that she was an alien, or whatever you called a being from another realm. Loki's words were still ringing in her head: she was supposedly promised to him. And now, Fury is treating her like some toddler who was too stupid to handle the truth. The icy trickle of fear melted into something Sarah considered more palatable: anger. "Thanks, Captain Fucking Obvious. I already realized that, but what does this _mean_? You mentioned a prophecy in the car. Now that we all know that I am this Valkyrie-witch hybrid, what does this mean for me and what am I supposed to face?"

Fury studied Sarah for a moment. While he preferred not to be cursed at and talked to like an idiot, he did admire that she refused to feel powerless. Any other person who learned that they weren't even a part of the world that they were brought up in would have taken more than 10 seconds to adjust before realizing that he purposely gave her an ambiguous answer. Still, she had powers that she was unaware of. Powers that he was quite impatient to unlock; but, he decided to wait until she felt like a part of the team. It was a delicate balance, he thought, if she considered herself a true member of S.H.I.E.L.D, she would stick around; if she felt like a pawn instead, she could easily turn her impressive strength against them. Fury wanted her willing to comply, but also just as eager to get back to her home realm. "What you need to face is a debriefing with the rest of the team. Bruce will show you to your quarters. Get some rest and someone will get you when it is time for the meeting."

He spun on his heel and quickly exited the room before Sarah could shoot out another question. "That still doesn't…..answer anything." She finished lamely before looking at Bruce. "Does he do that a lot?"

Bruce nodded as he helped her off the table. "More than I can count. You get used to it, eventually."

Sarah tried to take a step and found out that transporting her mind to another realm had a surprising physical effect when her legs bowed and she started to fall. Bruce instantly wrapped his arm around her waist and helped support some of her weight. "Are you alright?"

Nodding, Sarah looked up. Bad move, she thought, as she realized that Bruce's face was much closer than she originally thought. For a moment, she could not speak. Sarah just looked into Bruce's eyes, which were a curious mix of sadness, concern, and hopefulness. Finally, she regained control of her vocal chords. "Yes, thank you."

Bruce frowned slightly. "Hopefully there are no other side effects. I should have realized that your body would have some sort of reaction to this. I'm sorry for my shortsightedness."

They started to walk down the hall. Fortunately, Fury ensured that Sarah's room was a short distance to the lab. "Please don't apologize. You can't expect to know everything at all times."

"It's just difficult to not be in control of a situation." Bruce shrugged as he opened the door to Sarah's quarters. Why Fury insisted on calling it a room or quarters instead of the cell that it was made Bruce feel apprehensive. It was almost like he didn't want Sarah to realize her true part in this scheme.

Sarah felt strong enough to pull out of Bruce's arm. She quickly surveyed the room, it was a standard cell with a twin sized bed and nightstand. "A bit of a control freak, then?"

Bruce returned Sarah's half grin. "I have to be. There tends to be a lot of destruction whenever I lose control. At least, whenever I lose control of the other guy."

Something in Sarah's memory clicked into place. "You were that green guy during the attack. I thought you were on the good side."

Bruce waited until Sarah was seated on her bed before he answered. "Technically, I am neutral, but yes, I tend to be on the side of good. My other half tends to be less discriminating. He's definitely not someone that you want to count on." Noticing the dark circles under Sarah's eyes, Bruce made his way to her door. "I'll let you rest. But I do want to warn you about Loki before you get involved further. There is a reason why he is considered the God of Mischief. He will freely lie and use any vulnerabilities of yours for his own gain."

"Is that why he called me Sigyn? What does that mean anyway?" Sarah did not miss the startled look on Bruce's face.

"Sigyn was the name given to the baby. If he knows that you are that child, then he clearly knows about the prophecy. Loki's dangerous, especially if he is aware of your strengths." Bruce's voice was low as his thoughts started to whirl.

"So my name is Sigyn?"

Bruce looked Sarah in the eye. "You don't have to be. Not all prophecies have to end in the way they are predicted. But try to take your mind off of it for now, get some sleep. I will see you in a few hours, Sarah."

Easier said than done, Sarah mused. Though she couldn't help but notice how strongly Bruce stressed her name. Sarah might not know exactly what the so-called prophecy said or if there even was a prophecy, but something was telling her that Fury and his team were working to make sure that the predictions did not come true. At this point, there was really only one person who would give her more information, even if it would be suspect, at best. Lying back on the small bed, Sarah started to regulate her breathing and hoped that she could get into the same mindset as earlier. Turns out, she didn't need to visualize a relaxing room this time. She just thought about Loki's cell and within moments, was standing in front of the aforementioned Fallen Prince.

Loki, to his credit, looked as though he had been expecting her. Seated neatly in his chair, book in hand, he merely glanced up and smiled. "I was wondering how long it would take you to come back. I assume those fools did not tell you much, if anything."

Deciding that two could play that game, Sarah shrugged just as nonchalantly. "Did you expect anything less from mere mortals? Any resemblance of control and they are practically frothing at the mouth."

Setting the book down, Loki chuckled at Sarah's blunt description of the Midgardians. She had only known that she was not one of them for, perhaps, 20 minutes and was already referring to them as 'the other beings.' "I stand corrected. And here I thought you would be surprised at their lack of forthrightness."

Sarah scanned for another piece of furniture to sit on. Even though her physical body was not on this realm, she could still feel the fatigue setting in. Finding none, she settled for leaning against the small table. "There really isn't much about humans that surprise me these days. No matter whom they are and what kind of power they think they wield, they are all fundamentally the same."

Loki scanned the level headed woman. Once she realized her true potential, she would truly be unstoppable in battle, he decided. Shoving aside his quickening heartbeat, merely the reaction of excitement and nothing more, he formed a game plan. Sigyn would not be the type of creature who would instantly fall in love with him, that was more of a talent from those idiotic humans. Loki knew that in order to draw her to his side, he would need her trust and needed to be seen as an equal-his queen. Wait, Loki thought, where did that come from? It wasn't until Sigyn raised her eyebrow in question did he realize that he had been silent too long. "I don't know how much more I can tell you. You were promised to me and I have bigger plans that do not involve sitting in this miserable hole."

Sigyn was unimpressed. "You might not tell me much about the future, but how about the past? Tell me about my parents."

Loki briefly considered steering the conversation back to the promised union between them, but reminded himself that honestly would give him more headway. "Your mother was indeed a Valkyrie, Ashish. She was incredibly powerful. Not only was she a brilliant fighter, but she was also quite gifted in the art of persuasion, which came in handy when she was fighting injured." Loki fixed Sarah with a pointed look. "Or pregnant. Your father is far less known. Generally, Asgardians stay away from the witches. But there was the sorceress that led a coven who went by Caprina that Odin preferred to keep an eye on. Ashish worked with Odin to spy on the coven and in the process managed to convince Caprina's partner to leave with her. He did not stay with Ashish for long, though perhaps just long enough to impregnate her. Where he went after, we were never sure. But to demonstrate his appreciation towards your mother, he promised a union between the two of us."

Sigyn's brow furrowed in thought. "That seems like a huge reward for just stealing someone's partner. Also, everyone keeps referring to this prophecy, but all you are telling me is that Odin picked out your future wife before I was born. Clearly, there is more to the story that you aren't telling me."

"Have you considered that everyone is using the wrong word? They say prophecy, I say promise." Loki stood and began to leisurely pace. "But I would like to know why they keep throwing that word around. Perhaps Director Fury is trying to convince you that you have a more important role."

"But why would he do that?" Sigyn thought for a moment. "He hates you, that is clear, even if he doesn't say it outright. So if this so-called prophecy is just an agreement between Odin and Ashish and if I am as powerful as my mother, then Fury would be trying to keep us apart to keep you from getting stronger."

_Oh, she is catching on so quickly. _Loki thought as a warm sensation snuck through his limbs. He recognized it immediately. Pride. He just met Sigyn, how can he be feeling such emotions about her so soon? "And if you as strong as Director Fury and I believe you will be, then you also would have the power to destroy me. That is Fury's true intention, to use you as a way of finally winning against me."

Sigyn felt stuck. "So what is this, an intergalactic pissing match between you and Fury? Both of you will try to lure me to your side to help you with your own agenda." Loki did not bother to deny the allegation, so Sigyn continued. "What about what I want? I have a fucking choice in this too, goddamn it!"

It was like being back in the system again. Two parties fighting over what was best for Sarah without bothering to consult her on what she wanted. On one hand, she had connections to life on Earth. She could easily walk away from all of this and get back to her life. But another part of her questioned how realistic and simple that would be. Staring at Loki, she could sense a growing sensation of excitement and the beginnings of infatuation. She wasn't blind; Loki was extremely attractive and highly complementary of her budding talents. But he was also responsible for the attempt of the destruction of Earth. Sarah couldn't decide if she wanted to pull Loki close and kiss him senseless or if she should run as far away as possible. She couldn't even decide if she wanted to refer to herself as Sarah anymore. Two realms fighting for her alliance while her two selves were at war. It was enough to make any person's head spin, from Midgard or elsewhere.

Loki saw the internal struggle that Sigyn was now facing. "You do have a choice and it would be quite obvious what I would prefer you choose. I think I have given you enough to consider for now. But please see me soon, because, dare I say, I am growing fond of our chats."

Sarah felt the pull of her physical body from deep in her stomach. She tried to find the right parting words. Goodbye seemed to be insignificant and flimsy. "I wish I could say the same, but I don't know nearly enough about you yet." She threw Loki a crooked grin. "Don't worry though, sweetie, I'm sure I'll see you again."

She closed her eyes and did not open them, even when she felt herself returning to her body. Sarah merely rolled to her side and curled further underneath the blankets. A small smile crept onto her face as she considered what her powers could be and if she was strong enough to align with Loki and choose between being his equal or his assassin.

**A/N: Please review! I'd love to hear what you think about the story so far or if you have any suggestions that you would like to see incorporated! **


	5. The Secret Meeting

"Natasha, please collect Ms. Nystrom. I believe she's had enough rest for now." Fury watched as the red-headed assassin glanced at him in curiosity before walking out of the room.

He then directed his attention to the remaining Avengers at the table. Thor and Bruce were as interested in finding out why Natasha was the one leaving, instead of just asking one of the lower ranking agents. Fury answered them before either could say a word. "We need to figure out our next move with the Valkyrie and I feel that Agent Romanoff's opinion may be tainted with her goodwill towards her."

Thor spoke up first. "Clearly she should be back on Asgard. She has spent too much time on this realm and needs to learn her true nature."

Fury held his hand up, silencing the Asgardian Prince. "That part is a given, Thor. Once she is no use to us, then you are more than welcome to take her far away from here. What I meant is what our next step should be to align her with us long enough to kill Loki."

Bruce tried to feel surprised at Fury's blatant disdain towards Sarah, but considering the previous experiences he had with otherworldly beings, it almost became expected. Both Fury and Bruce were too caught up in their own thoughts to notice Thor's questioning look. "But Sarah has been raised as a human. What makes you think that she will want to leave? She might be a greater asset to us if we made her an agent."

Fury barely pushed down the feelings of annoyance and disgust at Banner's blatant attraction towards the Valkyrie. "While I understand your preference to have other supernatural women around, Banner, I would like to keep Earth's safety in the hands of its inhabitants. I think that we can ramp up her training and she'll be good to go within a month."

"I'm not, I don't, Jesus, Fury, all I am trying to say is that if we just kick her off this realm, she might not go as willingly as you hope. And why are you pushing her so fast? Loki is locked up in an Asgardian equivalent of a maximum-security prison." Bruce looked to Thor for verification, who nodded. "You can't possibly expect a woman who thought she was a normal human being _yesterday_ to be ready to accept her full strength and leave the only place she's known as home within four weeks."

"I'm sorry but I must have missed when we went from being a first rate protection agency to a camp for the sad and lonely. The sooner we get Nystrom from human to Valkyrie, the sooner she can kill Loki, and the sooner my superiors get off my damn back about it!" Fury punctuated his last word with slammed fist to the table.

A silence settled over the three men. Thor looked between Fury and Bruce for a moment longer. "Director Fury, why are your superiors still trying to kill my brother? Last time we spoke about him, we made the agreement that Loki would face Asgardian punishment, which he has. My brother is no longer a threat to this realm. You led me to believe that I was needed here to transport this young woman to her rightful home."

Fury rolled his eye. "We have reason to believe that Loki, while still imprisoned, poses a threat to us due to your emotional ties to a certain scientist. If he escapes, he will certainly return here to exact revenge on you by destroying us. Now, I would greatly prefer if we act now instead of waiting until he has taken out countless casualties. Again."

Irate over Fury's condescension, Thor stood up and pointed at the Director. "Now listen here, you are deliberately breaking the settlement that we have made and are proving to be most untrustworthy. Do not make me revoke my word that I will protect this realm when you need it. It would be simple to find Jane Foster and take her with me, leaving you mortals to fend for yourselves."

Fury silently weighed his options. He wanted nothing more than to sleep better at night, knowing that Loki was finally dead and no longer a threat. However, at the moment he had a pissed off God threatening to break alliance. "And what would you have me do?" He finally inquired.

Thor gestured wildly. "Leave Asgardian troubles to me! You have made it clear that you do not have a problem with going against your superiors' orders before."

"That was for the protection of a major city, not for the comfort of one person!" Fury stood and frowned at Thor.

Bruce stood, not because he was upset, rather, he felt like he would be ignored if he hadn't. "As much as I disagree with Fury's plan, do we have any room for compromise? Fury, your way will burn a major bridge, one that we cannot lose. And Thor, your wish won't make the board change their minds. They will still want Loki dead."

Both men considered Bruce's words. Thor nodded with approval. "Very well, I can accept your proposal to continue your training with Sigyn…"

"Who the hell is Sigyn?" Fury's head was about to explode at the notion that they might have to deal with yet another Asgardian.

"The name that Sarah was given at birth was Sigyn. You may finish her training here, I do not care how long it takes. Once she is strong enough, I will take her to Asgard and act as a guard to Loki's cell. That way, if he tries to escape or threatens this realm in any way, she will immediately act on behalf of your safety." Thor sat and waited for Fury's counterargument.

He did not have to wait long. Fury snorted. "And how can we be sure that she will act accordingly when the time arises?"

Satisfied that the Director was not proposing anything outrageous, Thor crossed his arms and leaned back. "It is no secret that Sigyn is promised to my brother. However, since he is incarcerated for his deeds, she has the choice to break the engagement. This does not impact the power that she will have to be able to destroy Loki, though. So I can imagine that my father and I can propose a different arrangement in exchange for Sigyn's loyalty."

Bruce gaped at Fury. "_That _is the prophecy?! Sarah, or Sigyn, was placed in an arranged marriage to Loki? Why the hell are we telling her differently?"

Before Fury could answer, the door opened and Natasha entered with Sarah following closely behind. Instead of looking well rested, Sarah looked like she was about to keel over. Thor studied her closely. At first, with her light brown hair and short stature, he thought Jane was walking through the door. However, Sigyn had curiously bright green eyes and pale, fragile looking skin. She also carried herself differently, she seemed on edge and waiting for a brawl to break out. Thor knew that once Sigyn's true nature revealed itself to her she would become a strong leader. He could see what Odin predicted about the young Valkyrie and why he was so eager to pair her with his younger son. For a moment, Thor's heart mourned for his lost brother and knew that if Loki hadn't turned against Asgard, he would have been truly happy with his wife. Sigyn sat and looked expectantly at the small group. "Please tell me that we are skipping the hand holding and singing portion of the meeting. You all are a little too cheerleader cheerful for my taste."

Bruce and Natasha hid their smiles. Thor looked confused while Fury's scowl deepened. "If you wouldn't mind, Sarah, I would like to start this meeting."

_So much for lightening the mood. _Sarah thought as she claimed the chair closest to the door


	6. Getting Closer

**A/N: Hi Folks! Sorry it took me a spell to get this next chapter out. I'm working on three different stories, though this is the only fanfiction piece, and a mad breakthrough on one story meant that the others were slightly shoved to the side. As always, let me know what you think and if you have any ideas that you would like me to incorporate into the plot!**

Approximately thirty minutes after Sarah sat in the chair, she felt her human identity slide away. As Fury and Thor outlined their plans for her, Sarah, now officially Sigyn, coldly realized that she would never return to her old life. She wouldn't even be allowed to go back to her apartment to pack up her belongings. Apparently, that was the task for an intern. Sigyn tuned back into Thor's long-winded explanation as he was finishing up. "…take some time to adjust to your new lodging. But I feel you will learn to love Asgard and feel a sense of belonging that you might never have on this realm."

"Uh-huh." Sigyn studied her nails.

Thor frowned. Perhaps he shouldn't have been so long-winded. Truly, he just wanted to verbalize the compromise that he and Fury made before the Director could go back on his word, again. This was no way to treat Sigyn, Thor decided. Quickly, he met the eyes of Natasha, Bruce, and Fury. "I believe this concludes our gathering. If you do not mind, I would be most grateful for time alone with Sigyn."

Bruce and Natasha got to their feet and bid a quick farewell to Sigyn, who appeared not to notice the conclusion of the meeting. Fury was not as easily convinced. "Whatever you need to say, Thor, you can say in front of me."

Thor refused to get into a power struggle with Director Fury and merely shrugged. "Stay if you would like, but I would just prefer to get to know her better since she will soon become a citizen of my land. Surely, you have more pressing matters to attend to."

Fury was stuck. Honestly, he wanted to listen to this mindless getting-to-know-you drivel about as much as he would like to sunbathe in the Arctic Circle. On the other hand, he did not feel comfortable with the Valkyrie trading information with anyone without direct supervision. However, Thor was correct; he did have some other tasks to oversee. With an annoyed sigh, he stood and jerked his head towards the security camera as an unspoken threat towards the two: We will know about any questionable business.

Sigyn waited until the Angry Pirate stalked out of the room before rolling her eyes, an action that she had been holding back for the better part of the meeting. "Well isn't he just a happy basket of kittens?" At Thor's confused expression, she shook her head. "Nevermind. So tell me more about Asgard, land of our people!"

Thor did not answer; he just kept looking at Sigyn with a slightly sad expression. Uncomfortable with the silence, Sigyn looked around the room. It appeared to be a standard conference room, equipped with a long table with gleefully comfortable leather chairs surrounding it. The walls were a comforting neutral beige color, very normal. But then again, Sigyn supposed that when dealing with worldwide catastrophes on a daily basis, it was nice to have a bit of normalcy nearby. Finding other distractions, Sigyn counted the number of cameras around the room (three), the number of hidden cameras (seven), and tried to identify the different colors in the carpet (grape purple, navy blue, emerald green, and puke yellow) before turning her attention back to the Asgardian prince. "If you don't start talking, I might be forced to discuss the different ways one can combine cocaine and hookers in their everyday lives."

Finally smiling, Thor relented. "My apologies, it's not every day that you come across your wayward brother's intended."

Sigyn shrugged. "I suppose the feeling can go both ways. But you insisted that we talk alone and now we are, well, as alone as we're going to get around here. What did you want to talk about?"

"Nothing in particular. I just wanted to get to know you better. Please understand that I truly believe that you will be an important citizen in Asgard and you will love it as much as you think you love it here."

"Um, thanks." Sigyn struggled to find the right words. How the hell do you tell a prince that you are dreading moving to his land? Granted, Sigyn had always felt out of place on Earth, but she mostly attributed that to her time in foster care. She ran her fingers through her hair agitatedly and blew out a sigh. "Look, I don't know why you thought that we could have this great heart to heart conversation but I'll save you the hassle of trying to make me feel better. Fury has given me the distinct impression that I will no longer be welcome here once he has used me for his own benefit, so clearly, that means that I will be joining you on Asgard. I know that I have no choice and I bet you already knew that as well. So can we please cut the diplomatic bullshit?"

To her surprise, Thor smiled and leaned back in his chair, arms folded over his chest. "You are quite an observant woman, as well as a direct one. I cannot tell you how much easier it is to communicate without having to constantly make sure that what I am saying is tactful and not offensive. I have an idea, though, if you are willing to indulge me?"

Sigyn groaned internally. This was not how she envisioned the conversation leading. Her dreams of returning to her slightly depressing quarters and sleeping this nightmare away were slowly floating away like the wisps of smoke of a post-coital cigarette: not entirely what you wanted, but infinitely better to focus on than the awkward situation at hand. Even though his words were kind and the request was open-ended, Sigyn felt that Thor was not asking for her opinion or was giving her the chance to refuse. "And what, pray tell, am I to indulge you in?"

She watched as Thor's smile deepened, excitement building in his eyes, and could not help but return the animated grin. "There is a training arena in this fortress. I was hoping that we could engage in some friendly battle. I find it helps loosen the lips of my comrades."

Eyeing Thor's massive biceps with suspicion, Sigyn thought about his offer. "You want to spar in hopes that we will talk about our feelings a little easier?"

Thor nodded, looking very much like a young boy who was offered a brand new toy. "If we were to leave now and make haste, I predict that Director Fury won't get to us until we reach the door. Which is beneficial, as the area is typically locked."

"So we arouse Fury's fury just to get him to unlock the door to the gym?" Sigyn laughed at Thor's sheepish, almost apologetic, smile. "Good to know that I am not the only troublemaker in the bunch. Where is this room, exactly?"

"Just down this corridor is the staircase. We travel to the forth level and turn right into the next corridor. Then it is just the third right followed by an immediate left. Why do you ask?" Thor did not have time to express the confusion he felt on his face before Sigyn threw open the door to the conference room and ran out the door.

At first, Thor thought that Sigyn was attempting to escape. Then her teasing voice floated back into the room. "Fancy a race? Of good sportsmanship, naturally!"

Though he could not think of a way that a race could be considered fancy, Thor recognized a challenge and tore after his brother's promised bride. From the distance, Thor noticed with pride that Sigyn ran with more speed and agility than any Midgardian. Sigyn barely slowed as she skidded into the door to the staircase and instead of risking a slip on the steps, chose to vault down to the next landing. She did not dare to look back, knowing that Thor would be closing in quickly. Locating the sign that indicated that she was now on the fourth floor, Sigyn slammed that door open and spun to the right. In the distance, she heard the running footsteps of S.H.I.E.L.D agents and slowed her pace. Just as she was rounding the next corner, Thor sped by her. "Getting tired?" he taunted.

Sigyn could only smirk as Thor was instantly tackled by eight or nine agents. "Not tired, just plotting" she sang as she hopped over the living pile and leaned against the locked door to the gymnasium and winked at an irate Fury. "Can you open this for me?"

Fury was not amused. "What the hell were you thinking? Your little stunt set off at least three alarms. Do you know how much paperwork I have to do now?"

Adopting an expression of absolute innocence, Sigyn batted her eyelashes at the pissed off Director. "I can help you, if you would like." As the Director continued to glare at her, Sigyn rolled her eyes. "Thor is testing my physical ability to see how much training I am going to require. Running and accuracy while being chased was the first test and we couldn't exactly warn you all because then your agents would not have pursued us nearly as hard as they would have if they thought we were a threat. Will that suffice for the mountains of paperwork?"

Muttering a curse under his breath, Fury tore his ID card through the door's lock. "Next time, I would prefer that you let me know when you try another 'test' like that." Continuing his muttering, Fury escorted Sigyn into the training gym. Sigyn could pick up random words like "freaking Asgardians" and "good thing I'm already bald."

She chose not to comment.

Thor followed the two into the room. The room was roughly the same size of her old high school gymnasiums, but otherwise looked nothing like what she expected. There was a running track that circled the entire circumference of the space. One side of a lofted area was filled with various weight machines, most of which, Sigyn could not identify. The other consisted of screens and other mechanical devices, some of them were even hanging from the ceiling. When she tore her eyes away from the odd machinery, she noticed that Thor had moved from behind her and was not standing in the middle of what she assumed was a boxing ring. "What? You just want to jump right into this?"

Thor rocked on his feet. "I could be convinced to give you a few minutes if that run tired you out."

Sigyn practically growled in response as she strode to the ring. Without a word, she dropped into a fighting stance, feet spread and her right foot slightly behind her left to minimize the space that can be hit, arms up, and hands curled into loose fists. Thor fought back an urge to laugh at her instant enthusiasm and began to plot out potential weaknesses. They circled each other for a moment before Sigyn dove in. Fury tried to watch the two Asgardians, but they moved so quickly that, at times, they appeared to be little more than a blur. After a minute or so, he gave up watching and mentally ran through his to-do list, hoping for an early and uneventful night.

Between dodging kicks to his throat and elbows to his hip, Thor watched Sigyn as she fought. Her eyes were narrowed and calculating. Her attacks, while still rough and borderline sloppy by his standards, had an amazing strength behind them and surpassed his expectations. A small kernel of hope blossomed in his stomach. Could this woman save Loki? Thor knew that his brother committed heinous acts and if it were anyone else, he would expect his head on a platter. But he could not help but recall memories of Loki as a toddler, always inquisitive about the world around him and shockingly sensitive, especially towards their mother. Thor desperately wanted his brother back. If Sigyn was the key to bring his beloved brother back, then Thor would do anything in his power to keep her safe.

Meanwhile, Sigyn was starting to feel frustrated. Even though she was fighting as hard as she could, Sigyn sensed that Thor was holding back. She could practically feel Thor's gaze on her, sizing her up. "Seeing something that you like? I thought we were fighting."

"Yes." Thor's blunt answer made Sigyn pause for a moment, giving him an opportunity to sweep behind her and throw an arm across her chest. "Even though you are not fully acquainted with your Valkyrie nature, you fight with the passion and systematic planning of one. You are fighting hard, but you are barely out of breath. Though I am concerned that you are not working to your full potential."

Sigyn kicked her foot against the slightly soft area directly below Thor's left kneecap and used the quick loosened pressure on her chest as an opportunity to spin out of his grasp. She raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean I'm not at my full potential? I'm kind of working my ass off here."

Now it was Thor's turn to pause. "You don't notice?"

Sigyn looked down at herself. Thor was right; she was hardly out of breath. She also had not even started sweating, nor was her heart beating faster than normal. Remembering the tight arm across her chest, Sigyn pulled her shirt away from her torso and saw no mark whatsoever. Anyone else would have had at least an angry welt. "How is this happening?"

"Your Valkyrie blood is protecting you, making you stronger than any human." Fury's voice piped up behind him. When Sigyn turned around, she noticed that Bruce and Natasha had joined him sometime during the fight. "But your mind has still not accepted that you are anything but a normal young woman. Until your mind catches up with your blood, you will always be functioning at a lower level than what you are capable of. Dr. Banner, is the lab ready?"

Sigyn glanced at the scientist. Bruce nodded, but looked quite pained at the affirmation. "Why do we need the lab?" she asked.

Fury finally smiled at Sigyn. It was terrifying.

"I think it's high time that your brain meets the Valkyrie within."


	7. Do you know your enemy?

_**"I think it is high time for your brain to meet the Valkyrie within."**_

Sigyn and Thor gaped at Director Fury. "What the hell are you talking about?" Sigyn said at the same time as Thor thundered "She needs training, Director."

When Sigyn threw a questioning look at Thor, he continued. "There is no safe shortcut to unlocking her full capabilities."

Bruce put his hands in his pockets and looked to the floor. Natasha elbowed him in the side, hard. Rubbing the affected area, Bruce hissed. "How many times do I have to tell you? Inflicting sudden and deep pain is a quick way to get the other guy to pop up and say hello."

Unfazed, Natasha hissed back. "You can't let them do this! We were just talking about how Fury was pushing Sarah too fast. Say the thing that you just told me, quick!"

Bruce watched at Natasha looked at Sigyn with concerned eyes. "I can't. There's no way Fury would listen to me at this point. He thinks that I'm only defending Sarah because I am attracted to her."

"Well, it's better than if we do nothing!" Natasha cleared her throat and called out "We agree with Thor, don't we, Bruce?"

When the other three swiveled around to look at the scientist, Bruce felt a cold knot of tension in his stomach. It wasn't as though he was afraid of Director Fury. Bruce was worried that once Fury dismisses his theory, that he will get overly upset. The big guy always liked it when Bruce lost control, even for a split second. It was all he needed in order to come out. He moved his attention from Fury to Sigyn. _But then again…_ he thought. "We do. If we push Sarah too fast, she is not going be able to process all of the changes. Sarah needs rest and counseling to come to terms with her new identity."

Sigyn tried not to feel uncomfortable as Bruce talked about her as if she was not in the room. Part of her wanted to argue with him and say that she was more than strong enough to deal with all of this, that she was dying to finally learn who she was, no matter what the cost. On the other hand, another part of her that happened to be growing at a rapid pace, wanted to avoid siding with Fury at all costs. She did not trust the man and wanted him to be perfectly clear of where she was aligned. _Yep. This isn't awkward at all._ It wasn't until Sigyn saw the sheepish expression flash on Bruce's face did she realize that she spoke those words out loud.

Bruce cleared his throat. "My apologies. But, honestly Sarah, you haven't even slept for more than a few hours. We're all exhausted and have faced enough excitement for one day. Why don't we all get some sleep and agree on a plan tomorrow afternoon?"

"I may be mistaken, but I don't seem to recall when you became my superior, Doctor Banner." Fury's eye was shining with, well, fury.

Incredulous, Bruce fired back. "And what do you propose we do when Sarah suddenly is able to unleash unholy hell on all of us and is too sleep deprived to care?"

Fury opened his mouth to retort, but then closed it. While he still appeared unhappy, he was at least considering the situation. "Fine." He bit out before turning back to Sigyn. "Tomorrow. Noon."

Spinning on his heel, Fury stalked out of the gym. As soon as the door swung shut, Sigyn spoke up. "So….can someone show me back to my room? I might be a little turned around."

"Let me." Natasha stepped forward.

Sigyn let Natasha escort her out of the gym. At first, Bruce and Thor tried to follow, but one look from the redhead had them freezing where they stood. They walked down the hallway in silence. Despite the late hour, Sigyn still noticed quite a few agents walking around. Natasha smiled at her once they entered the elevator. "Are you as sick of men and their ulterior motives as I am right now?"

Sigyn laughed. "Are you kidding me? If I have to stand between Fury and Thor when they are whining about each other again, I am going to lose my mind."

Natasha rolled her eyes. "Tell me about it. Sometimes, working with almost all men is worse than any catty drama that women are rumored to come up with."

The elevator doors opened and they stepped out into the hallway. Sigyn thought for a moment before asking Natasha, "Is there a reason why Fury hates me? I don't remember ever insulting the man."

"I don't know." Natasha admitted. "I mean, he's usually pretty no-nonsense, but for some reason, he is more curmudgeonly whenever you come up in conversation. Honestly, I was hoping that he would want to bring you into the Avengers, but I really don't see that happening."

Turning the corner, Sigyn recognized the corridor and knew that her quarters were behind the third door to the left. "Why were you hoping that I would stay here?"

Natasha shrugged. "It would be nice to have another female with heightened skills than the average agent."

Cocking her head to the side, Sigyn studied the redhead. "Are you trying to say that you were hoping that we would become friends?"

"Is that a problem?"

Sigyn shook her head. "Not at all. It's just unusual. I don't usually make friends that easily."

Natasha swiped her card on the reader next to the door. "Maybe you weren't looking in the right place." As the door opened, Natasha turned to walk away. "See you in a few hours."

Sigyn saluted in response before spinning on her heel and practically diving into the bed. Her small window showed the beginnings of daylight as she idly wondered how long Fury and his team had her running around today. The mattress was just a hair away from being uncomfortable and the sheets were cheap and itchy. But Sigyn didn't care. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

Some hours later, Sigyn felt a large hand running through her hair. While it was a foreign feeling to her, it wasn't entirely unpleasant. She sighed and tried to curl in closer to the warmth that sat just to her left. When she heard a low amused chuckle, Sigyn opened her eyes in confusion. Loki looked down at her, his fingers still intertwined in her hair. "It's about time you woke up. I was beginning to get concerned."

Knocking the hand off of her head, Sigyn sat up. The smirk on Loki's face only deepened. "I must say, though, I was pleasantly surprised when you arrived in my bed. Unless I'm mistaken, it appears that you perceive time with me to be safe and enjoyable."

Sigyn scoffed and pretended that the shiny white surroundings were infinitely more interesting than the tall, dark, imprisoned prince. "Don't flatter yourself. I'd cuddle with a furnace if I was sure that I wouldn't get burned."

Loki leaned back, practically giggling at Sigyn's false dismissal. "But, my dear, I at least reciprocate the physical desires." He then grew serious. "It is troublesome that you feel that my prison cell is safer for you than that silly Midgardian building. Tell me, what is Director Fury planning for you?"

Without understanding why, Sigyn told Loki the whole story. She watched his facial expressions carefully. He looked vaguely proud when she recalled her spar match with Thor and frowned when she spoke of Fury's treatment towards her. When she finished, Loki was pacing the room, his finger tracing the outline of his lips softly. Sigyn tried hard to not stare at his mouth. She was still coming to terms with the fact that she was technically engaged to the same being that multiple parties wanted to see dead. To add her feelings of attraction might be too much to deal with at the moment.

Loki watched as Sigyn tried to look everywhere but at him. When he first stood and paced, Loki saw the small flush on her cheeks and was worried at first. However, he soon realized that she had been fixated on his mouth. His heartbeat began to pick up as he began to suspect that his feelings toward his fiancée were not entirely one-sided. So it was with a sharp pang of disappointment that he watched as she tried to talk herself out of accepting her feelings towards him. Loki mentally shook himself. _You'll soon have plenty of time to convince her to love you. First you need to figure out the Fury problem._ It was clear that the angry Midgardian was hoping to use Sigyn as a weapon to kill him. Loki had figured that out almost instantly. But it did not explain the resentment towards Sigyn, who should be seen and treated as an ally. Suddenly, a distressed sound cut through the silence. Loki was so deep in thought that he almost forgot Sigyn was still sitting on his bed. He looked back at her and felt his stomach drop to his knees.

Sigyn was lying on her side, clutching her stomach. Her breath was coming out in pants while her face was pale. Loki rushed to her side. "What is it? How can I help you?"

Sigyn could barely hear Loki over the crashing waves of pain. She tried to form words, but all that came out were embarrassing squeaks of pain. Loki took her face into his hands. "Sigyn please, tell me what is happening! You are stronger than this. Talk!"

After a shuddering breath, Sigyn muttered. "I don't know. It feels like someone just cut me open and is rearranging my organs. Oh god, it's spreading!"

Sigyn curled into a fetal position as her hands clenched in her hair. As her tresses moved from her face, Loki caught a glimpse of her ears. He stared in amazement as her rounded tips began to shift and take on a pointed look. A feeling of utter rage crashed over him. _Fury._ Wrapping his arms around Sigyn, Loki leaned towards her changing ear. "Sigyn, love, listen to me. You have to go back. Fury is up to something and you need to stop him."

As another spike of pain tore through Sigyn's body, her head this time, she let out a shout. "I can't, Loki. Please, it feels like I'm dying."

Loki pulled her in closer to his body. "You can stop this, darling, please try. I'll find you, I promise. But now you have to go back."

With a scream of pain, Sigyn felt her mind slam back into her body. She opened her eyes and looked wildly around. While she recognized that she was still in at the headquarters, Sigyn realized that she was in some sort of glass cell. At first, she thought that the cell had an exceedingly low ceiling. When she tried to move her arms, Sigyn quickly realized that she was strapped down to a table instead. The agony had finished spreading to her entire body. Another wave hit and Sigyn's back bowed up as she screamed. The pain shot from her middle out into the tips of her fingers and toes. She was able to turn her head and stared at her right arm. Her fingertips were elongating as sharp talon like nails spread from her nail bed. _I'm turning. _Sigyn realized with a jolt. _Oh god, my body cannot keep up with this, I'm dying. _Sigyn knew that she had a limited window of opportunity to survive. Once the pain subsided, Sigyn began to take a couple of deep breaths. She flexed her limbs and quickly curled them to her stomach. The transformation was far enough along that the straps that had been holding her down were easily ripped away.

Sigyn jumped off the table, unsure when she how long she would be capable of moving. It wasn't until that moment did she see Director Fury glowering at her from the other side of the glass. Sigyn ran to the pane and began to slam her fists against it. "Fury, stop this. You're killing me!"

The Director was silent. He just continued to stare into the cell; a twitching muscle in his jaw was the only movement that Sigyn could detect. Sigyn continued to pound on the glass, begging Fury to turn the machine off. She noticed, with panic, that her vision was beginning to go black. Sliding down, Sigyn resumed her fetal position and wordlessly pleaded with Fury. Finally, after a long minute, Fury finally gave his answer.

Sigyn could only gasp as Fury's lips twisted into the bloodthirsty smirk that she had the displeasure of experiencing. She sank into unconsciousness with a sense of relief.

**A/N Don't forget to review! They are the sunshine and rainbows in my dark and snow covered world! Seriously, though, I live in Wisconsin. I think I've seen the sun for a grand total of 45 minutes in the last 2 months.**


	8. What are you doing?

Fury watched as Sigyn's eyes rolled back into her head. Her body collapsed and she curled into herself, twitching occasionally. Once he was sure that the Valkyrie was unconscious, he let out a relieved laugh. Going back on his agreement with Thor was risky, no doubt. But since the mess in New York, Fury was eager to send anyone affiliated with Asgard back to their own planet. Any Asgardian on Earth was just a risk for another attack. Studying Sigyn's figure, Fury felt as though he could finally breathe for the first time in two days. As he exhaled a lungful out, he felt a cold blade at the back of his neck. A sneer was clearly heard within the low voice that murmured "What do you think you are doing with my beloved?"

_Loki._

**_A/N_**** Sorry guys, but I could not resist leaving you all hanging with that little tease! There will be another chapter up soon, I promise...maybe even tomorrow?!**


	9. Takeout and a friendly takeover

**A/N: To the new followers, welcome! To all the others, thanks for sticking with the story and leaving me the kind reviews! As always, let me know what you think and if you have a suggestion of something that you would like to see incorporated into the story.**

Much to her surprise, Sigyn woke to the sensation of a cool cloth being run over her forehead. She relaxed and let out a content sigh. The sensation of the wet coldness helped lessen the throbbing in her head. _Wait, why does my head hurt so much? _Sigyn opened her eyes and blinked at the harsh light. She knew instantly that she was no longer in the glass cell, but why was she there in the first place? Flashes of screams started to ring in her mind.

Sigyn pounding at the glass.

Fury's terrifying smile.

A rapid cycle of pictures were flickering now just as Sigyn felt the cloth being removed from her face and being replaced by a warm hand. Sigyn's breathing began to shallow as she pieced together the recent events. Director Fury must have had someone watching her at all times. Once he noticed Sigyn was still communicating with Loki, he assumed that she had been compromised. Instead of killing her, though, Fury decided to hurry her transformation along faster than planned. If she died during the process, Fury could have explained that as an experiment gone wrong and prevented the bulk of Thor's anger. As hard as she tried, Sigyn could not bring herself to hate the Director. Ironically, by forcing Sigyn into the cell and dragging the Valkyrie out, Fury unwittingly allowed Sigyn to process the situation differently. It was almost as if her pathetically narrowed perspective of life was magically opened. A calming sensation settled over her. The hand that was gently cupping her face had moved to running over her hair. As Sigyn's eyesight strengthened, she finally realized who was in the room with her.

"Bruce?"

His brown eyes, tinged with worry and fatigue, warmed. His hand finally moved from her hair as he turned her face towards his and looked into her eyes. Despite how close Bruce was, Sigyn still felt relaxed and safe. Bruce let go of her completely and stood up. "Your vitals are stable. I don't think Fury's stunt left any lasting injuries or weaknesses. Congratulations, you are a full-blown Valkyrie now."

"Don't forget, she's half witch as well." Natasha bounded into view with a brown paper bag. "Doesn't matter, anyway, I would still be hard pressed to deliberately piss you off. Do you like Thai?"

Natasha pulled out three take-out boxes. "The cafeteria food here is decent, but I needed a change. Something with actual spice to it."

She held out a box. Sigyn could tell what was exactly mixed in, though the aroma was making her stomach growl. As she reached for the box, Sigyn noticed that Natasha's expression was slightly tense. Looking over at Bruce, she noticed the same false smile. Digging into the dish, spicy noodles with chicken and vegetables, Sigyn inquired "So what is it that you aren't telling me?"

Natasha turned toward Bruce. "I told you she would see right through us."

"It was worth a try." Bruce's defense was weak at best.

Sigyn tossed the empty take-out container towards the garbage to the right of the door. "It would be amazing if you two actually shared what it is you are hiding from me. I mean, I can probably figure it out even if you didn't." When the two shared an uneasy glance, Sigyn went on. "Well, clearly I am in another cell, this time one without windows. The glass one that I was in offered better security, but I was practically on display. So Fury still thinks of me as a threat but needs to make sure that I am not found easily, so someone is trying to find me. No one is sure if this mystery person wants to help me or hurt me, which is why you two are in this room with me instead of assisting with the new prisoner who is now in the same glass cell that I was in recently. How am I doing so far?"

Natasha stood. "Pretty much spot on, though you haven't guessed who your visitor is."

Sigyn scoffed. "Please, I thought the identity was a given. So how is my fiancée faring in his cell?"

Before she received an answer from either Natasha or Bruce, an alarm sounded. Sigyn smirked. "Obviously, not well."

She watched as Natasha pulled out a gun and followed Bruce out of the cell. Perhaps Sigyn should have reminded them that if Loki did escape from his holdings, her room would be the first place he would go. _No matter, Loki and I have a lot to discuss._ She thought as she settled back onto her bed. _Might as well prepare what I have to say while I wait. _Sure enough, within a few minutes, Sigyn heard a loud crunching sound followed the screech of her cell door being torn from the wall. Lifting her head, she studied Loki as he stood where the door once was, panting and staring back like a hungry animal who found an injured prey.

Sigyn felt a twinge of doubt as she looked at the fallen Asgardian Prince, her intended. What if he was using her to get back at Fury and the Avengers for his failure in New York? Despite fearing for her life, Sigyn could not help the burning sensation encompassing the pit of her stomach and moving swiftly between her legs. She desired the man, that much was evident, but would her lust be the death of her? Loki broke out of his revere and, taking only two long strides, cleared the distance between him and Sigyn. He dropped to his knees and grabbed her, one hand on her hip and the other at the nape of her neck. "Beautiful" he growled.

Almost as soon as the words left his mouth, he crushed his lips to hers. Sigyn expected the kiss to be a mess of tongue and teeth. Instead, Loki gently moved his mouth against hers. The heat Sigyn felt when she was just looking at him grew in intensity. She wrapped her arms around his torso and pressed her fingertips into his back, desperate for more. Loki moaned and traced the seam of her lips with his tongue. Sigyn eagerly opened her mouth and ran her tongue over his. She felt his hands move to under her thighs. As Loki lifted her closer, Sigyn gasped in surprise as she wound her legs around his hips. They settled back onto the bed, but it was different now, softer. Sigyn stopped for a moment to inspect the sheets. _There were no sheets before._ The rays of sunshine startled her as well. Sigyn untangled herself from Loki, who groaned and tried to pull her back. "Are we in my room?" She asked.

"I was hoping that you wouldn't notice until much later. But yes, we are now in your apartment. Actually, I was always here." Loki explained before lowering his mouth to Sigyn's collarbone. "We can talk about the specifics later."

Sigyn was too distracted to feel Loki nip and lick at the junction between her neck and shoulder. Standing, she gaped at the tan carpet and the standard white walls of a rented apartment-covered with different paintings and mementos that she had collected over the years. Sigyn glanced back to her bed; she had saved for three months to afford the black Egyptian cotton sheets and patterned down comforter. Loki still laid in the middle, waiting for her to come to grips with the new information. Sigyn ran her hand over her beloved handmade bookshelf. "This is my room."

"Yes."

"We're in my apartment."

"Yes."

"But you were never at the S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters?"

"Partially, I sent a fragment of myself so I could be physically able to retrieve you. My main body, however, remained here." Loki reached out for Sigyn. "Darling, we were in the middle of something."

Sigyn looked wistfully out her bedroom door to where the bathroom was. Despite the cramped space and astronomical rent, her shower was the plumbing equivalent to heaven. She was unpleasantly reminded of how long it had been since she had a wash. Trying to find the right words to let him down gently, Sigyn returned her attention back to Loki, who sighed with annoyance. "Fine. Go. We'll talk later."

With a delighted squeal, Sigyn bent over to kiss Loki. "Sorry, so sorry, but I feel disgusting." She started to run towards the bathroom. "This will only take a minute, I promise!"

Approximately 45 minutes later, Sigyn breezed out of her bathroom. All of the sweat and S.H.I.E.L.D official smell had been scrubbed off. She walked back into her bedroom. "Ok, maybe that was a bit longer….huh?"

The bedroom was empty.

Sigyn started to walk through the rest of the apartment. Muffled grunting noises spilled out from the kitchen. Upon inspection, Sigyn bit back a startled scream. Loki stood with his back to her. David, her roommate was pressed against the pantry, Loki's hand gripping his throat. Even though Sigyn hadn't spoke, Loki turned towards her. "Who is this pathetic mortal? Is he yours?"

"What?" Sigyn's head reeled momentarily. _Think. David walked into the apartment and used his key. Loki must not have known that he lived here as well and thought that David was my boyfriend. Loki's jealous? SHIT! _"No, Loki. It isn't what you think. I'm definitely not his type"

Instead of placating Loki, her words only made him tighten his grip. "He referred to you as sweetheart, isn't that a Midgardian expression for a loved one?"

"Jesus, Loki, he's gay! We've been friends for years and call each other that all the time. We don't mean anything by it! Just. Let. Him. Go."

Loki looked back at David. Despite turning bright red, David ran his eyes over Loki's body, pausing at the broadness in his shoulders. As Loki understood what Sigyn was saying, David smiled weakly and winked. Loki released his grip on David and turned back to Sigyn. "Well, how was I supposed to know?"

David coughed and massaged his throat. "It's all good." His voice was hoarse but still full of humor. "Though, it would be lovely if someone told me what the hell is going on. Sarah, someone came in here a few hours ago and took a bunch of your stuff, saying that you were never coming back!"

Sigyn began to stutter. "Um, that is, well, it's a long story."

David shot Sigyn a glare as he opened a cabinet and took out a glass. Maintaining eye contact with her, David whipped open the freezer and took out a bottle of Johnny Walker Red and poured himself a generous amount. He took a sip before gesturing towards the two. "I've got all day."


End file.
